Secret Notes
by club24
Summary: Secret Notes are never enough, especially if you have an obsession
1. Chapter 1

Melatia

Secret Notes

Chapter 1

Summary: Secret notes are never enough especially if you have a huge fascination.

Ginny stared at the paper one more time, wondering whether it was a good idea to send it to him or if she should just stay as far away from him as possible. She pondered whether her comments were innocent enough to sound friendly, or would they make her sound more like an admirer? Her neat handwriting had made her comments understandable, at least.

_**Impressive match**_

_**Congratulations on winning it**_

"Maybe I shouldn't," she thought again. "He'll probably think it's from a secret admirer. God knows what he'd do if he found out, but then again he'll already know it's from me because of the last note." She thought it didn't matter, because in the end he'd probably laugh out loud and share it with his friends.

She walked to the Owlery, where most owls were kept when they weren't with their owners. She'd found his owl a long time ago, but decided to take advantage of it just this year. The first note she gave him was terrible, in fact she despised it. She was a young teenage girl who could never have handled a boyfriend at that time. All it said was, "Can we talk? 4 pm at the Quidditch pitch." As the time approached, not only had she got a bad headache, but she'd had to cancel her plans. She felt horrible about it, but she'd been pretty sure that he wouldn't care. Oh, how wrong she'd been. She had found him questioning every one of his friends, asking if he or she had sent him a note. Then the next day, he'd found out. His friends, who somehow knew it had been from her, purposely made sure she was sitting next to him during the school Christmas photo. She'd been so embarrassed that she'd tried to edge away from her seat. It had been an embarrassing day for her, but she'd managed to ignore him.

Now here she was, standing in front of his owl. The bird looked speculative as he hoot at her and ate another owl treat from her hand. She carefully tied the note to his leg and told him to give it to his owner. She left quickly, before the owner of the footsteps she could hear approaching could find her.

During her Advanced Potions class she saw him sitting alone, but surrounded by his friends. She sat down next to her friend, Colin Campbell, and then heard the teacher announce that he would be changing the seating plan. She gathered up her stuff as she and her friend were moved across the room, but during the whole process she could feel _his_ eyes trained on her. Every time she looked at him, he was looking back at her with piercing eyes. She blushed every time she looked at him, but she managed to spend the rest of the day doing her work as normal. She tried to restrain herself, but she couldn't stop glancing at him once or twice during her professor's speech. She knew now that she had it bad.

**After **ac**ouple of **m**onths**

Draco Malfoy was a wealthy man who had more than one girl hanging on his every word, but he also had friends that he could trust. He was popular with the ladies, but he never showed a hint of egoism. He never abused it to his advantage, but merely accepted it. Even if he was with a girlfriend or with friends, he acknowledged others with a nod or a wave. That was what Ginny loved and hated about Draco Malfoy. She wanted to hate the fact that he was not a jerk as she had previously thought, but she couldn't. Every day she wondered if she could be his centre of attention, maybe for just a day or two; but then she would wonder, what was she thinking? What were the chances that he would give up his "model" girlfriend for her? They were the opposites of each other, and opposites were just not meant to be together.

She sometimes wondered if plain girls ever got the hot guys, for once in their lives. She wondered if it was even possible. She had never seen where a hot guy really liked a "normal" girl. She hated the fact that she longed for a fairy-tale romance—a fairy tale where he would see more than just her looks.

"Gin, what are you doing here by yourself?"

"Luna! You scared me," she said, jumping at Luna's voice. Her thoughts had taken her away from reality. She finally realised that she was sitting in the common room with a book open near her.

"Sorry, but this daydreaming thing has to stop. It's not healthy."

Ginny rolled her eyes at her friend's comment. "I'm fine. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm doing some homework. Oh, and did I tell you what happened yesterday?"

"No, what?" Ginny asked, leaning closer to her.

"Well, Professor Snape made Draco, Pansy, and I be in the same group for that potions project, and we were talking about the ingredients. Draco was trying to explain to Pansy what frog's eyes do for the potion. So he transfigured a quill into frog's eyes and then he showed a brilliant illustration of what could happen if you put too much into a potion. He was so dreamy," Luna sighed dreamily.

Ginny stared at her with envy, but knew there was no point being envious. She saw Draco out of the corner of her eye as he went to sit down at the Slytherin table with his friends. She could hear their laughter from her place at the Gryffindor table.

She remembered the first time he'd helped her. She was going to the library with a heavy load in her arms. She was walking toward the door when she dropped a paper. Just as she was about to reach down to get it, someone else was there, bending down and picking up her paper. She blushed as Draco took the paper in his hand and skimmed through it for a couple of seconds before handing it to her. She muttered a thank-you before running inside, her face burning. She kept thinking how he could have read her birthdate or some other private information, as the paper was an application to the Wizarding College. Then, when she had finished her homework, she was leaving the library at the same time that he was approaching down the corridor. He was right behind her when she came out, and she almost stumbled into him but somehow maintained her balance.

She knew that he was not perfect, that he could be just as bad as Ron was when he stole Santa's cookies. Draco occasionally skipped classes when it was near a holiday or when it was simply boring, but she never knew how smart he was. She was impressed with his knowledge of potions and how he beat her on every test. She admired him for helping others in need, even though it was an excuse for cutting class.

As her birthday approached, she was excited about what her brothers and her parents might have got her. She appreciated her gifts no matter what. But this special gift seemed so much rarer than others.

"Did you hear?" said Luna to her at Charms class two days before Ginny's birthday.

"What?"

"He broke up with his girlfriend," Luna said in a giddy state.

"When?" Ginny was shocked, but happy nonetheless.

"During Potions class. He told his friends that he broke up with her."

"Are you sure?"

"Parvati was sitting behind his seat when he told his friends. Can you believe that he's a bachelor now?" Luna said dreamily.

"You must be so happy," Ginny said. She shook Luna's arm to bring her back to reality.

Ginny was happy at the thought of Draco being single. But then she thought of her birthday and how close it was to when he'd broken up with his girlfriend. She began to wonder whether there was any significance to the timing of the two things. She wanted to believe that he'd broken up with his girlfriend because of her. But, really—what was she thinking?

_**I'm sorry about what happened**_

Ginny thought she must be on drugs when she sent this note to him a week after his break-up. She was thinking how this could all be only a rumour and how Luna could have lied to her. But she knew Luna pretty well, and she was sure Luna wouldn't do that to her. Or would she? Ginny thought about his reaction on the note. She had been getting some paper from the teacher's desk when Draco looked at her as if he wanted to talk to her but didn't know how to start. She'd been disappointed when he walked away, but nonetheless she continued with her work.

Ginny decided to give up on him when she saw _her_, Draco's girlfriend. Cindy, that was _her, _was beside him when Ginny was picking up her books from her desk. Cindy was talking to Pansy as if Pansy hardly ever saw her. Well, it was actually true, considering Cindy had graduated the previous year. Draco was beside her like a good boyfriend should be. Ginny was filled with envy, and the thought of them together made her feel sick to the stomach. She left quickly, without a second glance.

She vowed to forget him and learned quickly as she ignored him at every class where she saw him. Of course, ignoring just meant she wouldn't look at him, but then again, it was hard to _not_ look at him. He was a Greek God. She especially was having a hard time ignoring him when he played Quidditch. He had all the right muscles everywhere and the thought of it made her knees weak. Why couldn't he be skinny when she wanted to forget about him?

She soon found that the friendship of Colin and Neville had helped her through this whole situation. Even though they chatted like friends, people always assumed they must be dating. Colin was a super-nice guy. He was there every day to tease or encourage her. Meanwhile, Neville was a bit rough round the edges. He liked to annoy her every once in a while and sometimes upset her; but then again, without him Charms class would be so boring. They were both great guys, but somehow she never thought of them as more than friends.

And then there was Seamus. He was the good-humoured guy who made class funny and worthwhile. She loved his sense of humour. She knew he had a crush on her, but somehow she just didn't know if she liked him back. But soon, she knew she found him more ofthan a great friend. He was so sweet when his friends pulled a prank on her, and he even made sure she was okay with it. She sometimes regretted that she couldn't take him up on his offer, but it felt better when he was getting along with a lot of girls rather than being focused just on her. She sometimes told him she wished him good luck with them, hoping he wouldn't hold a grudge against her.

Also, there were Michael and Dean. Michael was the first guy to have a crush on her during her school years. He was confident as he tried his pick-up lines with her, and he tried to sway her with his charms. Even though she did like him during her fourththird year, she knew he deserved someone better. Plus she didn't want a real boyfriend yet. Soon he found a girl named Michelle, a girl who seemed better suited to him than Ginny was. Sometimes Michael would get in trouble with Michelle for talking to her, but Ginny didn't want to mess up his relationship. She felt bad and tried to stay clear of him for now. He and Michelle were one of the cute couples of Hogwarts, and they looked like they would last for a long time. And they did, for almost two years.

Dean had had a crush on Ginny even before coming to Hogwarts. She knew how sweet and gentle he was, but she never did like him back the way he wanted her to. Even though she broke his heart by telling him to "bug off", she really felt bad and wanted to apologise. Now he sometimes ignored her during class or in the hallways, and she hoped he would forgive her one day.

Even though those five boys were only the beginning, she didn't want to cause more troubles. Then she realised that she already made enough trouble with Draco. She didn't want to admit this, but it was really hard to forget Draco. He was probably her first love, or maybe just her first big crush.

However, she eventually found a bloke who was almost as cute as Draco. Terry Boot, a friend of Michael's, was one of the smartest students she had known. He was also a fairly great swimmer and loved to compete with his friends. Although a lot of people thought he had a crush on Lavender because he always talked to her in the classes they had together, they never held hands in public or showed any other sign that they were a couple. Ginny was reluctant to show her feelings, fearing she'd probably end up being rejected.

She kind of wished Draco would stop acknowledging her with his stares and glares. She knew he had found out who had been giving him secret notes, and she wished that he would at least acknowledge that he knew. She didn't know whether it was because of the attention he got from the notes or the fact that he wanted to have more ego, but she hated this game. The game of "Let the Girl Make the Moves" was getting boring and tiresome. She needed to know whether he was interested or just didn't care. So far his signs were as mysterious as the Giant Squid.

Now, at the graduation ceremony, she could see him sitting next to his friends laughing at whatever they said. Even though she longed for his attention, she was probably just another girl, a notch in his belt. She wanted a last chance, so she gave him her last letter. Whether he came or not, she would finally have her answer.

_**4 pm Quidditch pitch**_

_**Come if you really care**_


	2. draco's view

Draco Malfoy stood in the Owlery with a parchment in one hand and a bag of owl treats in the other. He heard running footsteps leaving the Owlery as he reached the entrance. He was surprised that anyone would be here at this time. It was almost curfew, and the thought of catching another first year out of school after curfew was a pleasing idea.

He reached his owl in quick strides and took out a couple of treats from the bag. As he held them out in his hand, he was stunned that his owl didn't take the treats. He was even more shocked when the owl raised his foot and gave him a piece of parchment. It was a scrap of common parchment with writing scribbled on it:

_**Impressive match**_

_**Congratulations on winning it**_

His dazed expression never left his face as he finished reading the note. He was surprised that even after so many years, he would still get a note from _her_. He'd always thought the crush he'd had on the littlest Weasley would end after his fifth year, but she had been in his mind every once in a while. When he started his sixth year, he had thought she might send him a few notes; unfortunately he finished the year without hearing a word from her. Now she and her notes were back, and somehow it gave him an odd feeling, like the feeling he got when he was nervous before a Quidditch match. He shook his head to get rid of these thoughts before leaving the Owlery. He stuffed the note in his pocket and left.

When he saw her the next day in Potions class, he was intrigued and couldn't stop himself from staring at her intensely. She blushed every time she looked back at him, and when she looked away, his heart dropped. He wanted her to look at him, but she appeared to be ignoring him, something that had never happened in his life.

**After a couple of months**

Draco Malfoy was watching the red-haired beauty _again_. He couldn't help himself; he admitted that she had grown in the last two years. She may not be beautiful in the same way as his on and off girlfriend, Cindy, but she was beautiful.

The first time he noticed her existence was when she gave him a note that read:

_**Can we talk? 4 pm at the Quidditch pitch**_

It was the first time he really looked at her and noticed that she wasn't just another devotee of the Golden Trio. But she was enchanting. When he accidentally told his friends about her note, they kept after him to ask her out or to tease her. But he wouldn't do that to her. When their nagging failed, they planned a little surprise for Draco, and they arranged it so that she had to sit next to him the whole time at the school Christmas picture. He felt awful and somehow upset as she kept edging away from him, as if he had the plague or something.

He remembered waiting at the Quidditch pitch that day with a broom in one hand and her note in the other. It had been raining and he cursed at the weather and the dreadful day. He didn't want to look like a lovesick fool, so he planted a bored expression on his face. As he stood there on the field, waiting for a miracle or at least _her_, he realised he had it bad. Normally a Malfoy would never wait for anybody. Of course, there was no way he would fall for any girl; it should be her doing the falling, not him.

As he shook his head and came back to reality, he realised that his friends were looking at him, expecting him to talk about the upcoming Quidditch match. He nodded his head at Zabini, who started to explain the plan to defeat Gryffindor. Draco tried to concentrat,e but somehow his eyes keep lingering on the littlest Weasley. It wasn't until Zabini's interruption that he could finally concentrate.

The first time he had helped her was merely his way of snooping. He was curious what program she was going to do for the Wizarding College. He wanted to ask her, but decided not to when she kept ignoring him like the plague. When her submission paper dropped on the floor, he saw it as his chance and hurriedly picked it up before she could reach it . He noticed her red-coloured cheeks as he stood up and decided to read the form quickly before handing it back to her. She looked at him with curious eyes when he gave it back. She mumbled what oddly sounded like a thank-you, and and then the ran inside the library. He watched her figure disappear before his eyes. He smiled; now he knew what course she planned to take in college, and as a bonus he knew her birthdate. But he saw Zabini walking toward him and he wiped the smile off his face.

As he waited outside for her to come out of the library, he went over his strategy as to what he could say to her. He could insult her, or he could open up an interesting discussion on something like Quidditch. But then again, he was a Malfoy, not some buffoon in love with a pretty redhead. As she approached, she nearly tripped over his feet, but she managed to get her balance. She muttered an apology to him and left quickly. He cursed her for being so sly and so fast that he couldn't catch her even with his Seeker's reflexes. He sulked back to his dorm before anyone could notice his sudden change in attitude.

It was two days before her birthday when he heard the most surprising news of his years in Hogwarts. Apparently his friends had thought it would be fun if people thought he was single, so they played a practical joke on him by circulating a rumour that he and Cindy had broken up. He was scared of what Cindy might think—but she wasn't there, so what were the chances of her finding out?

The biggest shock of all was when Ginny send him a note a week after the rumour had been started:

_**I'm sorry about what happened**_

He felt terrible for Ginny's misinterpretation, but he also needed to be straight with her before she hated him even more. So he decided to tell her soon, but fate was not on his side. Cindy decided to come to Hogwarts and put all the rumours to rest. Cindy arrived, dressed like a model, and began to talk with all of his friends and make her presence known, as a warning that she was not gone and they had not broken up.

Then Draco saw Ginny walking down the same path he and Cindy were walking along, and he saw that her face was contorted with anger and sadness. He felt an urge to go to her, but a sharp tug on his arm by his girlfriend changed his mind.

Draco's anger had begun to grow in the past few days as Ginny continued to ignore him and her notes stopped coming. He hated the fact that he was losing her attention more every day, and he watched with jealous eyes as she flirted with what seemed like everybloke in the school.

On the day of his graduation ceremony he was sitting with his friends, laughing at a joke Nott had told. All of a sudden his owl flew to him and dropped a small note in his lap. It took him a while to get it back, as his mates stole it and passed it among themselves, keeping it just out of his reach. Finally he snatched it back and quickly read it:

_**4 pm Quidditch pitch**_

_**Come if you really care**_

His friends looked at him expectantly, waiting to hear what the note said. But he sent them a glare that clearly said they should mind their own business, and walked off by himself. He pondered whether to go to her or not; time was ticking away—it was near 4 p.m.

Rejection was hard to handle, especially for Ginny, in light of what Harry had done to her. When Harry broke up with her, her world came tumbling down, but somehow she managed to find her balance. She was never one of those girls like Lavender or Parvati, who was constantly flirting with boys or becoming friends with them. So when she fell hard for Draco, her first instinct was to stay away from him; but somehow she was always drawn back to him, even if the only way she could express herself was by sending "friendly" notes, or even a daring glare in his direction.

She knew what her chances were of having any kind of relationship with him and, if she should succeed, the odds of making it through for even a year. She knew fate would not be on her side, but she hoped it would give her some chances with Hogwarts bachelors. So she decided to keep seeking Draco out even though she was certain a broken heart was all that would come of it. However, somehow fate was with her, because he did notice her, and sometimes gave her the most intense glares anyone ever had. Although that was never enough, she loved it since at least it was some evidence that he had noticed her.

So when she was standing in the Quidditch pitch wearing her most beautiful dress and a little makeup, she thought she would have her chance even if it was only for a minute or a second of his time. She would fight for him for only this day and this time.

Draco was walking onto the Quidditch pitch when he saw her. He was stunned at how beautiful she looked. It gave him a peculiar feeling to know she had done this for _him_, out of all the other guys in Hogwarts. But then, he did deserve it—he was a Malfoy, after all.

"Hi."

"Hi." As both parties stared at each other intensely, they noticed how awkward it was to be together, _alone_, for the first time.

"So...congratulations." Ginny tried to look him in the eye, but it was somehow intimidating, and she looked away.

"Thank you. You look so beautiful," he said, putting his hand under her chin and gently forcing her to look at him. He felt the urge to kiss her but decided to wait. His hand traveled to her cheek and traced her face gently. She closed her eyes and her heart beat faster than before.

"Gin, open your eyes," he said quietly.

She looked at him expectantly, as if he might kiss her or tell her he'd fallen in love with her.

"I've waited for this to happen for a long time. I never thought you would come," Ginny said quietly, looking at the ground

"I know what you mean."

"So—are you still with her?"

"Yeah...I'm sorry that my friends started that stupid rumour," he said and continued when he saw Ginny's confused face. "They told people she'd broken up with me, but she hasn't."

"It's fine. I guess I was dreaming of a better ending."

"You should; you deserve it."

"Why?" she asked curiously as she looked into his eyes.

"You're the first person who's ever actually cared about me. People pressure me to be perfect, but you don't care. You encourage me either way."

"I don't think being happy your girlfriend left you is exactly encouraging."

He chuckled.

"No, but it's common to think so. I would date you if I were single."

"You don't have to lie."

"I'm not. You're beautiful. I know it's hard for you to see it, but you shouldn't think so badly of yourself."

"Then why won't you break up with her?" she said, upset.

"I don't know. I've been with her forever and she's known me forever."

"So is she your soul mate?"

"No!" he exclaimed hastily. "I would hope not."

"Okay," she said feeling a little happier to know this.

"Gin?"

"Yeah?"

"Dance with me," he said.

"But—"

"Please?"

He took her gently in his arms and they danced until sundown. He held her tight as he tried to memorize her curves, her freckles and her smell. Meanwhile, Ginny closed her eyes, trying not to cry, and at the same time trying to be happy that she'd got this last wish before he was gone.


End file.
